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Terrestrial Passive Integrated Transponder Antennae for Tracking Small Animal Movements
Author(s) -
CHARNEY NOAH D.,
LETCHER BENJAMIN H.,
HARO ALEX,
WARREN PAIGE S.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
the journal of wildlife management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.94
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1937-2817
pISSN - 0022-541X
DOI - 10.2193/2008-096
Subject(s) - transponder (aeronautics) , movement (music) , telemetry , habitat , caudata , environmental science , fishery , ecology , geography , biology , telecommunications , computer science , meteorology , philosophy , aesthetics
Measuring terrestrial movements of small animals poses a substantial technological challenge. We developed very long (up to 130 m) passive integrated transponder (PIT) detectors with which we tracked salamanders (Caudata) migrating from breeding ponds to their upland habitat >200 m away. In all 60 trials, salamanders were detected when released near the antennae. In a second test, we tracked 7 of 14 tagged marbled salamanders ( Ambystoma opacum ) migrating >65 m, well beyond the area protected by existing wetland buffer regulations in Massachusetts, USA. The mean rate of movement for these salamanders ( x̄ = 0.9 m/min; SE = 0.1 m/min) was substantially higher than rates of movement reported for related salamanders with radio‐implants. These PIT antennae offer researchers a means to study small animal movements with less disruption of the animals’ natural movement patterns than is caused by other available techniques.